Spinning and winding system

ABSTRACT

AN AUTOMATIC SPINNING AND WINDING SYSTEM FOR HANDLING DIFFERENT TYPES OF BOBBINS AND INCLUDING A SELF-TENDING SPINNING SYSTEM FOR FILLING EMPTY BOBBINS WITH YARN, AND A SELF-TENDING WINDING SYSTEM FOR WINDING THE YARN FROM THE FILLED BOBBINS ONTO YARN PACKAGES. THE FILLED BOBBINS FROM THE SPINNING SYSTEM ARE STORED AND ARE AUTOMATICALLY SEPARATED INTO SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL BATCHES WHICH ARE DELIVERED TO THE WINDING SYSTEM RESPONSIVE TO DEMAND OF THE WINDING SYSTEM FOR FILLED BOBBINS. EMPTY BOBBINS FROM THE WINDING SYSTEM ARE STRIPPED OF RESIDUAL YARN, AND ARE AUTOMATICALLY RETURNED TO THE SPINNING SYSTEM RESPONSIVE TO DEMAND OF THE SPINNING SYSTEM FOR BOBBINS. THE SPINNING AND WINDING SYSTEM MAY CONCURRENTLY HANDLE AND KEEP SEPARATE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BOBBINS.

Sept. 28, 1971 c. w. BROWER 3,608,293

SPINNING AND WINDING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 21, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTbR CHARLES w. BROUWER BY J/ BM 10 F 3 1 A Mk W ATTOR NEYS Sept. 28, 1971 w, BROWER 3,608,293

SPINNING AND WINDING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 21, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 J R Wm 7 6 RM M18 P mw E Q wwv n H WWW Mm m www MJ|J WW M 4 m a Q? ,0 UR m 6 @w W x A? m m P 2 0F WU ARM 8. w 4 Mw w W J m. o 2 2 W Hum V0 F 9 9 wnUo my 0 w n||ro 4 Q 8 Q M o B & may G Wu M u v w fifiw W FIG. 1 B

P 23, 1971 c. w. BROWER SPINNING AND WINDING SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 21, 1969 FIGB 4 INVENTOR CHARLES W. BROUWER FIG.4

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,608,293 Patented Sept. 28, 1971 3,608,293 SPINNING AND WINDING SYSTEM Charles W. Brouwer, East Greenwich, R.I., assignor to Leesona Corporation, Warwick, R.I. Filed Oct. 21, 1969, Ser. No. 868,041 Int. Cl. B65h 54/02; D01h 9/02, 15/00 US. Cl. 57-34R 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatic spinning and Winding system for handling different types of bobbins and including a self-tending spinning system for filling empty bobbins with yarn, and a self-tending winding system for winding the yarn from the filled bobbins onto yarn packages. The filled bobbins from the spinning system are stored and are automatically separated into substantially equal batches which are delivered to the winding system responsive to demand of the winding system for filled bobbins. Empty bobbins from the winding system are stripped of residual yarn, and are automatically returned to the spinning system responsive to demand of the spinning system for bobbins. The spinning and winding system may concurrently handle and keep separate diiferent types of bobbins.

This invention relates to an automatic spinning and winding system and, more particularly, to such a system in which a spinning system fills bobbins, the filled bobbins are transferred to a winding system which empties the bobbins, and the empty bobbins are transferred from the winding system to the spinning system.

As used herein the terms bobbin and package mean a body of yarn or a core carrying a body of :yarn, so that the yarn may be readily moved from place to place, or such a core without a body of yarn thereon. The term filled bobbin means a bobbin whether full or partially full of yarn. The term empty bobbin means a bobbin which is substantially or completely devoid of yarn, or a bobbin which is ready to be donned onto a spinning frame. Terms such as various types or different types of bobbins mean bobbins having different cores, or different yarns, or both difierent cores and yarns. The term yarn is employed in a general sense to apply to all kinds of strand material, either textile or otherwise. The terms spinning system, spinner, spinning frame and spinning station refer to any system or apparatus for forming yarn and. winding the yarn onto a bobbin. The terms winding system, winder, winding machine and winding station refer to any system or apparatus for receiving a filled bobbin and rewinding the yarn from the bobbin onto a yarn package.

Although various apparatuses and systems have been proposed for donning and dofl'lng spinners and winders, and other similar equipment, no satisfactory automated system has heretofore been developed for fully automating an integrated spinning and winding system. As a spinning frame attendant dolfs filled yarn bobbins they are commonly collected and stored in boxes in the spinning area. These boxes of bobbins are then carted to a winding area where they are usually dumped into another cart which a winding machine attendant moves about the winder while orienting and donning the individual bobbins at winding stations of the winder. After the bobbins have been unwound, they are usually deposited in a cart and returned to the spinning area for reuse on the spinner. It has been the practice for the spinning machine attendant to don empty bobbins onto the spinner, threadup the bobbins and start the spinner for filling the bobbins.

Various systems have been proposed for delivering bobbins to a spinner or a winder, and for receiving bobbins from such machines. However, such systems have not obtained full automation in transferring bobbins between the various machines. Such spinner and winder systems as have been proposed have generally resulted in rough handling of the bobbins or required some participation by an attendant. Scutfing and other damage to the filled bobbins is a major problem. Also, most equipment is unsuited for handling partially filled bobbins which occur fromv time to time.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved spinning and winding system.

Another object is to provide a new and useful automatic spinning and winding system. A related object is provision of such a system including a self-tending spinning system and a self-tending winding system, with provision for storing and transferring bobbins between the systems. Another related object is provision for transferring batches of bobbins between the systems responsive to demand of the receiving one of the systems for bobbins. Still another related object is provision of such a system for concurrently handling various types of bobbins.

-A more specific object is provision of a new and useful automatic winding and spinning system including a self-tending spinning system for receiving empty bobbins, donning and filling the bobbins with yarn, and dofling the filled bobbins; a self-tending winding system for receiving the filled bobbins from the spinning system and unwinding the filled bobbins and winding the yarn from the bobbins onto yarn packages; with provision for storing the filled bobbins from the spinning system and automatically providing substantially equal batches of the bobbins and delivering the batches to the winding system responsive to demand of the winding system for filled bobbins, and for returning the empty bobbins from the winding system to the spinning system responsive to demand of the spinning system for empty bobbins. A related object is provision of such a winding and spinning system for concurrently handling different types of bobbins, one type to a batch, and in which the batches of bobbins are each randomly jumbled and the winding system orients the jumbled bobbins before unwinding the bobbins. Another related object is provision for stripping residual yarn from the empty bobbins.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are left and right hand portions, respectively, which together form a fragmentary, schematic layout of spinning and winding areas in a textile mill;

'FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, schematic sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, schematic sectional top view taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, schematic sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, schematic sectional top view taken generally along the line 5-5 in FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 (Sheet 2) are diagrams of portions of a control system.

With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B of the drawings, and as is more fully described in the United States Patent application S.N. 736,354, filed June 12,. 1968, in a textile mill 10 a supply or spinning area 12 contains a selftending spinning system 14 (to be described later) including at least one self-tending spinner 16, two of a plurality of spinners 16 being illustrated. Each spinner 16 has a chute 18 for passing filled bobbins 20 to an associated storage and conveyor bin 22 (to be described later), one such bin for each spinner. Each spinner may feed a different type of filled bobbin to its bin. Each filled bobbin storage and conveyor bin 22 is intermittently operated by a motor (not shown) to move its filled bobbins 20 to a discharge end of the bin where they drop into an associated measuring hopper 26, one for each of the bins. Each hopper 26 Weighs the bobbins to form measured batches 28 of a predetermined quantity of the bobbins. To this end, each hopper 26 may be pivotally mounted (not shown) at one end and supported at an opposite end by a Weight responsive sensor mechanism (not shown) which operates the bin motor so that the bin 22 delivers filled bobbins when the hopper requires bobbins and stops delivery of the bobbins when the hopper contains the predetermined quantity of bobbins. Each hopper 26 has a normally closed bottom wall (not shown) which is opened to discharge its batch of bobbins 28 to one of a plurality of containers 30 of an overhead conveying system 32. When the bottom wall of the hopper opens, an initial delay time delay circuit is actuated and when the initial delay period has expired the bottom wall of the hopper is automatically closed and latched. The bobbins are transported by the overhead conveying system 32 into a winding are 34 and, more particularly, to a self-tending winding system 36 including at least one self-tending winder 38, and here illustrated as including two Winders 38, for example, Uniconer Model 644 automatic Winders, manufactured by Leesona Corporation, Warwick, RI. Each Winder has at least one bobbin receiving means including a chute 40, one for receiving each of a different one of the types of filled bobbins 20, if desired. Additional bobbin receiving means for additional types of bobbins may be provided, if desired, as suggested in the aforementioned patent application Ser. No. 736,354. At winding stations 42 of the winders 38 the filled bobbins 20 are unwound and the yarn is wound onto yarn pack ages (not shown). After unwinding, the resultant empty bobbins 44 are preferably stripped of residual yarn, and as herein illustrated they are first automatically delivered by known empty bobbin conveyors (not shown), one such conveyor for each types of bobbins, to empty bobbin hoppers 46, one for each of the types of bobbins. From each hopper 46 the bobbins pass to a container 30 and are conveyed back to the spinning area 12 Where they are deposited in a suitable known stripper 48 for removing residual yarn, such as a Simplex Stripper, manufactured by Josef Timmer, Maschinenfabrik, 422. Coesfeld, Germany, for example. If different types of cores are used, then a plurality of strippers 48 is provided, one for each of the types of cores, as illustrated. The empty bobbins 44 are then automatically passed from the stripper to empty bobbin storage and conveyor bins 50 (similar to the previously noted bins 22), one for each of the spinners 16. From these bins 50 the bobbins are delivered through a chute 52 to orienting and delivery hoppers 54, for reuse by the associated spinner 16 and are then returned to the associated filled bobbin storage and conveyor bin 22.

The overhead conveyor system 32 includes a suspended track 56 which receives wheeled trolleys 58 of the containers 30, with the trolleys 58 connected by a drive chain (not shown). A suitable drive motor (not shown) continuously drives the chain through a driven sprocket 60 meshed with the chain. Idler sprockets 62 guide the chain around corners along the conveyor track. When a container 30 which is designated to receive batch 28 of a particular type of filled bobbins 20 is empty of bobbins and approaches the measuring hopper 26 containing the appropriate type of bobbins, an indexing control 64, which is stationary relative to the hopper, causes an operating rod (not shown) on a control block 66 on the container 30 to be projected into an operative position to engage and release a latch 68 on the hopper 26 so that the batch 28 of filled bobbins 20 drops into the container. As the container 30 continues to move along the track 56, the operating rod engages an inclined cam 70 which earns the rod to an inoperative position.

The container 30 of a batch of filled bobbins continues to travel along the track 56 to the winding area 34 and when it comes to a Winder 38 which requires the particular type of bobbins carried by the container, another indexing control 64 again causes the operator rod on the container to be moved to its operative position for operating a latch control mechanism 72 which operates a container latch 74 to open a container gate (or bottom wall) 76, thus discharging the filled bobbins into the filled bobbin receiving chute 40. As the now empty container 30 continues to move along the track 56 its gate 76 is automatically closed and its operator rod engages a latch 78 which releases a gate (not shown) of the empty bobbin hopper 46 containing the type of empty bobbins corresponding to the type of filled bobbins delivered to the filled bobbin chute 40 of the associated winder. The operating rod is now returned to its inoperative position by another cam 70.

The empty bobbins are automatically carried to the empty bobbin hopper 46 by an elevating conveyor 80 from the standard empty bobbin conveyor (not shown) of the winder 38. A closing system similar to that described with reference to the loading hoppers 26 closes the empty bobbin hopper gate.

Continued movement of the container 30 of empty bobbins along its track brings the container to the spinning area 12 and, more particularly, to the stripper 48 for receiving the particular type of bobbins. If there is no difference in the cores, the containers may deliver empty bobbins to the strippers either in keeping with the type of filled bobbins the container receives, or to the stripper of the spinner having the greatest need for cores. As the container approaches the stripper, another indexing control 64 moves the containers operating rod to its operative position for engagement with an unlatching mechanism 72, as described with reference to the filled bobbin receiving chutes 40, whereupon the container gate 76 opens and the empty bobbins 44 drop from the container into the stripper 48 from which they automatically pass into the empty bobbin storage and conveying bin 50 for return to the associated spinner 16. The gate is again closed, as previously described, and the container 30 is now ready to receive filled bobbins 20 from its associated measuring hopper 26.

Each indexing block 66 secured to a container carries a plurality of rods (not shown), including the previously noted operating rod. A portion of the rods in each block are container, or bobbin type, identification rods and are always operatively fixed. Other rods include a rod to indicate that filled bobbins are carried by the container, a rod to indicate that empty bobbins are in the container, and a rod to indicate an empty container.

By way of example, as an empty container 30 approaches its measuring hopper, its identification rods and its empty container rod close switches (not shown) on the indexing control. Now, if the associated measuring hopper 26 contains a full batch 28 of filled bobbins, the previously mentioned weight sensor mechanism closes another switch in a circuit with the previously noted switches, and the indexing control causes the operating rod to be moved to its operative position to operate the hopper latch 68 for opening the hopper bottom wall so that the filled bobbins drop into the container. The indexing control 64 now also operates a positioning mechanism to move the empty container rod to its inoperative position and the filled bobbin rod to its operative position, and thereafter the operating rod is cammed to its inoperative position by the cam 70. Operation of the indexing control is generally as described immediately above at the associated :filled bobbin receiving chutes 40 of the winding systems 36, except that if the winding system requires bobbins a suitable switch (such as a weight responsive switch of an orienting barrel, to be discussed later) is closed, whereupon the operating rod is extended by the indexing control to operate the previously described latch mechanism and the container deposits its bobbins in the chute. The control system operates in a similar manner at its empty bobbin bin except that a bin demand signal (to be described) may be omitted if the bin is large enough to accept all empty bobbins carried by its associated containers 30.

As is more fully discussed in US. Pat. No. 3,474,975, as the filled bobbins are received by the associated filled bobbin receiving chute 40 of a winder 38, the bobbins pass into bobbin orienting apparatus 82, one such apparatus associated with each chute 40.

Each of two orienting apparatuses 82 of each winder 38 of the winding system 36 receives its filled bobbins 20 in jumbled condition and delivers the bobbins with their large ends down to distributing apparatus 84 of the associated winder 38. The distributing apparatus 84 automatically delivers the correct type of bobbin to the winding stations 42 of the winder.

Each orienting apparatus includes a rotatable cylindrical drum partially supported by the previously noted weight responsive mechanism (not shown) which closes the previously noted switch of the associated indexing control when the weight of bobbins in the drum drops to a preset amount indicating need for another batch of bobbins, whereupon a container drops filled bobbins into the associated filled bobbin receiving chute 40. The bobbins tumble slightly in the drum until they are received in one of a plurality of upwardly opening channels'in the lower portion of the drum. The drum is rotated step by step responsive, indirectly, to demand of the distributing conveyor 84 for a bobbin, and a bobbin is deposited in a gauging assembly (not shown) at the top of the drum, whereupon rotation of the drum is automatically stopped. This gauging assembly causes the bobbin to pass small core end first to apparatus, including a tube 86, which inverts the bobbin and passes the bobbin large core end down into a bobbin holder (not shown) for later discharge to the distributing conveyor.

Suitable readying apparatus, such as that disclosed in US. Pat. 3,544,018 issued Dec. 1, 1970, may be provided to receive the bobbins from the holder and prepare the bobbins for unwinding at the winding stations 42, and then pass the bobbins to a second holder (not shown), or, alternatively, pass then directly to the distributing conveyor, as desired.

Each distributing conveyor 84 includes a continuous conveyor belt 88 received by pulleys 90 on the winder 38, and continuously driven in any suitable manner. The belt carries sets of normally closed bobbin receiving buckets 92, one set for each of the types of filled bobbins 20 being handled. These buckets 92 pass over open tops of bobbin receivers (not shown), one at each of the winding stations 42. When a receiver is empty, a bucket 92 carrying an appropriate type of filled bobbin 20 is automatically opened and discharges its bobbin into the receiver for subsequent automatic deposit of the bobbin in a creel (not shown) of the winding station 42. When the bucket 92 is open it actuates a sensor (not shown), just upstream of the associated bobbin holder from which the empty bucket is to receive a bobbin, after the bucket has been closed.

Each spinner 16 includes two tenders 94 which move back and forth, one along either side of the spinner, as is more fully discussed in US. Pat. No. 3,403,866. With reference to FIGS. 1A and 2, the tenders 94 are carried on tracks 96 and are self-propelled for movement back and forth along the adjacent side of the spinner 16 for scanning spinning stations 98 of the spinner. Each tender 94 stops to provide required services for any of its stations, and thereafter continues scanning the stations. Upon stopping at a station, the tender automatically doffs the filled bobbin, dons an empty bobbin 44 from a magazine 100 and threads the empty bobbin so that spinning may continue. The filled bobbins 20 are automatically dropped into a filled bobbin chute 102.

A bobbin handling system for each spinner 16 includes a continuously operating conveyor system which encircles the spinner for delivering empty bobbins 44 to the associated tenders 94 and for receiving filled bobbins 20 from the tenders, as is more fully discussed in US. patent application Ser. No. 863,858 filed Oct. 6, 1969. Each illustrated conveyor system is continuously driven by two motors 103 (FIG. 1A) and has four continuously driven conveyor belts including two long belts 104 one for handling bobbins for each of the tenders. These long belts 104 are interconnected at their adjacent ends by shorter, end belts 106. The belts are supported by shelves 108 (FIG. 2) and decline inwardly toward retaining walls 110 so that the bobbins roll toward the walls. Upper runs of the belts, 104U (FIG. 2), carry spaced apart empty bobbins 44 about the spinner until each of the bobbins is individually picked up by one of the tenders 94. Lower runs of the belts, as lower run 104L ('FIG. 2), receive filled bobbins 20 through an opening 112 at the bottom of the filled bobbin chute 102 of each tender 94, and deliver the filled bobbins to the chute 18 which deposits the filled bobbins in the associated filled bobbin storage and conveyor bin 22.

The upper runs receive the empty bobbins from the associated storage and delivery hopper 54, as is more fully disclosed in US. patent application Ser. No. 789,283, filed Jan. 6, 1969. As previously discussed, each hopper 54 (FIG. 1A) receives randomly disposed empty bobbins 44 from the chute 52 of the empty bobbin storage and conveying bin 50. In each hopper 54, an agitating and orienting member 114 is automatically moved up and down and has an upwardly opening slot which receives shanks of the empty bobbins 44 with heads 116 of the bobbins resting on the top of the member. The member 114 stops at the top of its stroke whereupon a pusher 118 is operated by a pneumatic cylinder within a protective bellows 120 to slide the bobbins 44 out of an open end of the slot and onto declining rotating rods 122. An escapement mechanism 124 is operated by a fixedly mounted double-acting cylinder 126 having a piston rod with an arm secured thereto, the arm extending over the bobbins 44 on the rods 122 and having a return portion which normally retains the bobbins on the rods. When operating pressure is provided to the cylinder 126 the free end of the piston rod moves between the two lowermost bobbins 44 on the rotating rods 122 to retain all but the lowermost bobbin on the rods as the abutment is withdrawn to release the lowermost bobbin which now drops through notches at the lower ends of the rods and into a tube 128 for delivery to the upper run of the adjacent end belt 106. When the operating pressure is released from the cylinder, the abutment again moves into its retaining position as the piston rod is withdrawn to permit the bobbins on the rods to move downwardly so that they are retained by the abutment.

As previously noted, empty bobbins 44 are delivered from the empty bobbin bin 50 to the hopper 54 responsive to demand of the associated spinner 16 for bobbins. This may be accomplished by means of a suitable photo-cell unit 130 and reflector 132 mounted in the hopper 54 so that the units beam is parallel to the agitating and orienting member 114. The unit 130 and reflector 132 are at a depth in the hopper 54 so that when the level of bobbins 44 in the hopper drops sufficiently, the unit is activated and a suitable timing circuit starts a motor 134 (FIG. 6) for operating the bin 50 to deliver bobbins to the hopper 54 for a predetermined time sufficient to nearly fill the hopper, as controlled by a terminal delay time delay relay 136 (FIG. 6) having a normally open contact 138 in circuit with the motor 134.

Referring again to US. patent application Ser. No. 863,858, when one of the tenders 94 requires an empty bobbin 44, a bobbin pick-up gate assembly 140 of the tender is swung from a closed position, as shown by solid lines in FIG. 3, to an open position, as shown by broken lines, in which position the gate assembly extends diagonally across the upper run 104U of the adjacent, long conveyor belt 104. The upper run 104U now moves an empty bobbin 44 into the gate assembly from which the bobbin drops into a trough 142 of the tender, whereupon the bobbin is picked up by an elevator 144 and deposited in the tenders empty bobbin magazine 100.

More particularly, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pickup gate assembly 140 includes a body 146 mounted intermediate its ends on a frame portion of the tender 94, by means of a generally vertical pivot shaft 148, for generally horizontal swinging movement. The body has an upper wall 150 integral with a side wall 152. A pickup gate 154 is generally co-extensive with the body 146 and is mounted intermediate its ends on the body by means of a generally vertical pivot shaft 156, for generally horizontal swinging movement. A double-acting cylinder 158 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 7) is fixed to the frame of the tender 94 and has a piston rod 160 pivoted, as at 162, to a free end of the body 146. When the tender 94 requires an empty bobbin 44, operating pressure is provided to the cylinder 158, as will be described later, whereupon its piston rod 160 is retracted and the gate assembly 140 is swung from the closed position, as indicated by the solid lines in FIG. 3, to the open position, as indicated by the broken lines, with both the body 146 and the gate 154 normally extending diagonally across the upper run 104U of the adjacent long belt 104. The end of the body 146 at the piston rod pivot 162 normally engages the adjacent end of the gate 154, and upon movement of the body to the open position the gate is free to move to its open position responsive to urging of a torsion spring 166 (FIG. 4) about the gates pivot shaft 156. Thus, if the gate assembly 140 is opened as a bobbin or bobbins 44 are passing by, the gate 154 will engage the bobbins and ride across their surfaces as the body 146 moves to its fully open position. After the gate 154 is free of the bobbins 44, the torsion spring 166 pivots the gate open to receive the leading end of a bobbin.

As the upper run 104U moves an empty bobbin 44 between the body side wall 152 and the gate 154, the leading end of the bobbin depresses an actuator 168 pivoted to the body 146 and closes a normally open valve 170 (FIG. 7) which is vented when closed, and is connected in an operating pressure line to the cylinder 158, thereby venting the cylinder and causing it to retract its piston rod 160 for closing the pick-up gate assembly 140 and depositing the empty bobbin 44 in the trough 142 in the tender.

The tenders elevator 144 for lifting the empty bobbins 44 from the trough 142 to the empty bobbin magazine 100 is here in the form of a continuous chain 172 which travels vertically about three pulleys 174, one of which is driven by a suitable motor 176 (FIG. 7). A plurality of forks 178 are secured to and spaced apart along the chain 172 and any one of the forks may receive the frustoconical head 116 of the empty bobbin 44 in the trough 142 and lift the bobbin, head end first, upwardly and about a top one of the pulleys 174, whereupon the bobbin drops away from the fork 178 and into the empty bobbin magazine 100 of the tender 94. The delivering fork 178 then moves downwardly through an opening 180 (FIG. in a curved wall 182 of the magazine 100.

Delivery of an empty bobbin 44 from the upper run 104U of the adjacent conveyor belt 104 to the tenders magazine 100 may be initiated in any suitable manner, for example as by a sensor 184 (FIGS. 2 and 7) pivoted, as at 186, on a side wall 188 of the magazine 100 and normally urged away from the side wall 188 by a suitable spring (not shown). This sensor 184 is urged inwardly by engagement with one or more bobbins 44 in the magazine 100. When the sensor 184 is not so engaged by a bobbin in the magazine, it swings away from the side wall 188 and permits a normally closed shut-off valve 190 (FIG. 7) to open thereby providing operating pressure to the elevator motor 176 to drive the elevator 144, and through the normally open gate assembly valve 170 to operate the cylinder 158 for opening the gate assembly 140. When a bobbin is delivered to the magazine and engages the sensor 184, the valve 190 is closed, stopping the elevator motor 176.

In order for the pick-up gate assembly 140 to function more efficiently in picking-up the empty bobbins 44 from the adjacent long upper run 104U, the bobbins are effec tively maintained suitably spaced from each other by means of a bobbin monitoring control system, as is described in US. application Serial No. 863,858. This system (FIG. 1A) has first and second sensors 192 and 194, respectively, which swing upwardly as a bobbin 44 passes below on the adjacent upper runs 106U and 104-U, respectively. Each time a bobbin 44 engages the first sensor 192 a timing function is initiated. If the timing span expires before a trailing bobbin 44 engages the second sensor 194 (which is upstream from the first sensor 192) the escapement mechanism 124 is actuated so that an empty bobbin '44 is delivered to the adjacent upper run 106U. If the second sensor 194 is engaged by a bobbin 44 before the timing span has expired, the timing span is started anew and a bobbin is not delivered to the upper run 106. As the empty bobbins 44 travel with the upper runs of the conveyor belts 104 and 106, they could be caused to bunch together, as by a temporary obstruction on one of the belts, for example. Therefore, the monitoring control system also assures adequate minimum spacing between the empty bobbins on the belts, as follows: When the second sensor 194 is engaged by a bobbin, a bobbin retarding apparatus 196 (FIG. IA) is actuated. This apparatus includes a double-acting bobbin holding cylinder 19 8 which is operated to move a bobbin holding abutment 200 (upstream of the second sensor) on the outer end of the cylinders piston rod, across the upper run 104U and inward toward the retaining wall so that the abutment 200 engages the head 116 of a bobbin moving with the run and stops the bobbin. When the preceding bobbin engages the first sensor 192, the holding cylinder 198 is operated to release the held bobbin which then continues its travel on the upper runs of the conveyor belts.

While this invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment in a particular environment, various changes may be apparent to one skilled in the art. The invention is therefore not to be limited to such embodiment or environment except as set forth in the appended claims, noting particularly that the spinning means, the winding means, the bobbin handling means, the various storage means, as well as the operating means and systems and apparatuses, may be considered, within the terms of the claims, as encompassing various portions of the structure set forth in the description in conjunction with other portions of the structure. By way of example, the bobbin handling means as it pertains to empty bobbins, may be considered as including not only the overhead conveyor system 32, but could, within the terms of the claims, also encompass a stripper 48, a bin 50, a hopper 54, conveyor belts 104 and 106, a gate assembly 140, an elevator 144, and a magazine 100, as set forth in the description, and the spinners bobbin donning apparatus (not shown).

What is claimed is:

1. A spinning and winding system comprising, means including self-tending spinning means for receiving empty bobbins, and for filling the bobbins with yarn and transferring the filling bobbins to bobbin handling means, means including self-tending winding means for receiving filled bobbins from the bobbin handling means and for unwinding the filled bobbins to empty the bobbins and transferring the empty bobbins to the bobbin handling means, the bobbin handling means including means Operable for delivering the filled bobbins from the spinning means to the winding means and for delivering the empty bobbins from the winding means to the spinning means, and means for so operating the delivering means.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which the operating means operates the delivering means to deliver bobbins to the winding means responsive to demand of the winding means for bobbins.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which the operating means operates the delivering means to deliver the empty bobbins to the spinning means responsive to demand of the spinning means for empty bobbins.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which the operating means operates the delivering means to deliver bobbins to the winding means responsive to demand of the winding means for bobbins, and further operates the delivering means to deliver the empty bobbins to the spinning means responsive to demand of the spinning means for empty bobbins.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which said bobbin handling means includes means for storing the filled bobbins, and the operating means operates the delivering means to deliver bobbins to the winding means responsive to demand of the winding means for bobbins.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which said bobbin handling means includes means for providing batches of the filled bobbins, and the delivering means delivers said batches to said winding means.

7. A system as set forth in claim 6 in which the operating means operates the delivering means responsive to demand of the winding means for bobbins.

8. A system as set forth in claim 6 in which the bobbins in the batches are randomly jumbled, and the Winding means orients the jumbled bobbins before unwinding the bobbins.

9. A system as set forth in claim 1 including means for stripping residual yarn from the empty bobbins.

10. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which the bobbin handling means is operable for storing the empty bobbins.

11. A system as set forth in claim 10 in which the operating means operates the bobbin handling means to deliver the empty bobbins to the spinning means responsive to demand of the spinning means for empty bobbins.

12. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which the spinning means and the winding means, and the bobbin handling means operate for keeping separate and concurrently handling various types of bobbins.

13. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which said bobbin handling means includes, means for storing the filled bobbins, means for providing substantially equal batches of the filled bobbins, and the delivering means is operable for delivering said batches to said winding means, and the operating means operates the delivering means responsive to demand of the winding means for bobbins.

14. A system as set forth in claim 13 in which the bobbins in the batches are randomly jumbled, and the winding means orients the jumbled bobbins before unwinding the bobbins.

15. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which the bobbin handling means includes means for storing the empty bobbins, and further includes means for stripping residual yarn from the empty bobbins, and the operating means operates the delivering means to deliver the empty bobbins to the spinning means responsive to demand of the spinning means for empty bobbins.

16. A system as set forth in claim 1 in which the spinning means and the winding means, and the bobbin handling means operate for keeping separate and concurrently handling various types of bobbins, and the operating means operates the delivering means to deliver a particular one of the types of bobbins to the winding means responsive only to demand of the winding means for the last said particular type of bobbins.

17. A system as set forth in claim 16 in which said bobbin handling means includes, means for stripping residual yarn from the empty bobbins, means for storing the empty bobbins, means for storing the filled bobbins, means for providing substantially equal batches of randomly jumbled filled bobbins, each said batch containing only one of said types of bobbins, and the delivering means is operable for delivering said batches to said winding means, the operating means operates the delivering means for delivering a batch of a particular one of the types of bobbin to the winding means responsive only to demand of the winding means for the last said particular type of bobbins, and the winding system orients the jumbled bobbins and then dons the filled bobbins for unwinding of the bobbins, and then dotfs the empty bobbins.

18. A system as set forth in claim 17 in which the operating means operates the bobbin handling means to deliver a particular one of the types of the empty bobbins to the spinning means responsive only to demand of the spinning means for the last said particular type of empty bobbins, and the spinning means operates to don and thread the empty bobbins for filling with yarn, and then doff the filled bobbins.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,403,866 10/1968 Bell et al 57-53X 3,474,975 10/ 1969 Brouwer et al 24235.5R 3,480,128 11/1969 Brouwer et a1. 242-35.5RX 3,544,018 1/1970 Stoppard et al. Z4235.6R

JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

